Despite lead dangers being more well-documented than in the past, Rock County, Wisconsin, continues to see lead-poisoned children in its communities.
To help with this issue, SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – Janesville recently partnered with Nutrition and Health Associates (WIC), which in turn worked with Head Start Rock County, Walworth County Head Start/Early Head Start (RWCFS), on a special project that makes lead testing for children easier to access.
“Lead exposure can cause serious and sometimes irreversible health problems, especially in developing brains and nervous systems,” said Lara Hermann, Executive Director of Nutrition and Health Associates, Rock County WIC program. “Even low amounts can cause learning disabilities, behavioral issues, and developmental delays. The good news is that early detection and intervention are effective in preventing these potential health concerns."
Rock County has a large number of homes that were built prior to 1950 and often contain lead paint. In addition, over 50% of homes in some areas of Janesville and Beloit (Rock County’s two largest communities) are rentals which may not have received regular renovations or safety updates.
“We know that many families in our area may have challenges or landlord rules that impact their ability to make household repairs such as replacing paint,” said SSM Health Community Health Director Megan Timm. “We wanted to help address environmental health issues before a poisoning occurs and partnered with WIC and RWCFS to meet families where they are.”
Knowing that there has been a decline in the number of children being tested for lead in Wisconsin, WIC was eager to work with RWCFS and implement lead screening into their already established home visit procedures.
“Creating a partnership with Head Start programs made sense,” Hermann said. “We serve similar populations and our goal for these lead screenings was to remove any barriers (especially related to transportation) for those who needed the testing.”
SSM Health provided a Mini Grant for WIC and RWCFS to purchase lead testing kits and supplies.
“The current range for lead screened participants was between 50% - 58% for all three groups,” Hermann said. “Going into 2025, we have already established a quarterly check-in program in partnership with Head Start to identify all eligible children who need a Lead screening and provide those tests on site for early detection and intervention.”
So far, the organizations have helped to identify multiple children who screened with a high level of lead in their blood. Intervention was provided through Rock County Public Health and local physicians to ensure families received appropriate care.
